Modern StepFamily
by westwingwolf
Summary: A member of Chloe's and Lex's parents have gone and married each other but this isn't your average step-sibling cliche tale. Check out the AN in Ch. 2 for update explanations!
1. New Family

Disclaimer: I own nothing that pertains to Smallville.

Spoiler: This story is set somewhere between Season 1 and Early Season 2.

AN: I'm currently sick and when I'm sick not only do my ideas get crazier, the part of my brain that would normally tell me that posting such a story would be a bad idea ceases to work. This is a one-shot. Under no circumstances will I expand this story. My favorite taboo happens to be the step-sibling relationship and I always thought this way made the most sense to start it for Chlex but no one would write it, so I took it upon myself to do so. But this isn't really about their relationship. It's about finding out about the marriage. I'm also fully aware that the characters in this story could be considered behaving OOC.

* * *

Not knowing what else to say to his daughter, Gabe tried to break the frozen expression on his daughter's face. "I know this is a shock to you…"

Well, that worked. The light in Chloe's eyes went from a dull standstill to an impossible fire. "Shock?! Telling me that you eloped is a shock. Add to that, that you are… for all intense purposes… suddenly gay is the equivalent of an earthquake. But when you say that your new life partner is Lionel Luthor then we're experiencing seismic activity worthy of the break up of Pangaea!"

The new Mr. Sullivan-Luthor closed his eyes to avoid watching the nervous movements Chloe made around the kitchen table. There was only so much back and forth one could watch before he got sick. The two always had an honest relationship but he was not above using his own manipulative powers. Softly he said, "I thought you would at least be happy for me."

The blonde stopped her pacing, knowing that she was beat. "I am happy for you, Daddy. Honest. …I just don't understand how this happened. I didn't even know you spoke often with Mr. Luthor."

"I think it would be okay for you to call him Lionel now," Gabe said with a smile. He shrugged, "As for how it happened, it's still hard for me to understand at times too. You work with someone, spend so much time together, things progress, and before you know it you're in love."

"Okay, but I thought Lex was in charge of the plant so by that theory…you and he should have…" Chloe stopped herself and held up hand. "Oh! I shouldn't have gone there." She closed her eyes and tried to ward off the horrible mental images that her thinking led to. Suddenly, the idea of her father and Lionel wasn't so bad.

Gabe waited patiently until Chloe was ready for him to continue. "Lionel was taking control for a while, but I suspect now he'll back off because we want to spend some quality time together. I want you to think positively about this new development. After all, we'll be moving into the mansion so you'll finally have a chance to explore it like you've always wanted."

Chloe forced a small smile, not wanting to let her father know that half the fun of exploring the mansion would be taken out of the equation now that she had permission. Best if she kept that piece of information to herself.

* * *

Lex stared at his father. "Is this a test?" He wasn't exactly sure how marrying one's plant manager could be used as test to supposedly teach one's son, but if anyone was capable of it, Lionel Luthor would be just such a man.

"You're trying to see how big of a lie you can tell me before I'll snap." That had to be the answer. Taking this information as fact just didn't make sense.

Lionel scoffed at his son's rationalization. "This isn't any sort of test. Just the honest truth. I am now a happily married man."

Lex gave his father's statement some serious thought. Weighed what the man said with his expressions. He seemed more genuine then in any other moment than Lex had spoken with him. And given that his father rarely didn't have an angle, this knowledge would have swayed anyone else.

He still didn't believe him.

"You're trying to gain points with the public, right? Getting involved in a topical issue." It was possible. Sure they were riding the close to the Bible Belt, but it wasn't like that would scare off Lionel if he thought he could gain respect from a bigger portion of the world. Screw respect, if Lionel thought he could gain a half a point on the stock market, he'd ride on a Gay Pride float and wave a rainbow flag while sitting on a drag queen's lap.

Lionel shook his head. He was truly saddened by the thought that his own son would refuse to believe him. "No. This is just who I am. I hope that you can accept and respect my decision."

Lex was at a lost. It wasn't often that his father could catch him completely off his guard even though that's what the two had often competed in doing to each other. "So Gabe Sullivan is my new step-…father?" He absently wondered how long it would be before that wouldn't sound weird.

Lionel grinned, certain that now that his son believed him, they could move on to becoming a better family. "Yes! Isn't it great! And think about it…now you finally have a sister!"

Lex turned away and shut his eyes in frustration. That way of looking at the situation was going to cause serious problems with his recent dreams.

The End.

* * *

AN2: AN2: I know Gay Marriage isn't legal in Kansas or sadly much of anywhere in the US, but in my perfect world it is and even if it wasn't, the government wouldn't stop Lionel from marrying the love of his life. Again, this story will not be going any further so you'll just have to imagine how Chloe and Lex deal with being new step-siblings on your own.


	2. Boundaries

AN: From now on this story will be updated like The Wiki-Series which means that each chapter is actually a story in itself and ends but has a connecting thread to the story as a whole. As of right now, I don't know if I will add more to this story so for now consider it complete until you see that I've added something else.

Summary: As newly step-siblings, Lex and Chloe have to enjoy the most sacred of all sibling traditions...fighting over property!

* * *

"No! This is not going to happen." He was adamant that he would win this argument. There would be no way the blonde could change his mind.

"I'm really not feeling the love, Lex!" He was being such an unaccommodating ass. It would not kill him to give her this one favor.

"You cannot have this room." He knew he'd have to make a lot of changes to his life when time came for Chloe and her dad to move into the mansion. Be more careful about what was said over the phone while in his office. No more late night skinny dips in the pool. Having to share his Captain Crunch cereal at the breakfast table. But he absolutely would not concede this territory.

"Why not? You aren't even using it!" The room would need some serious re-decorating since it had that 'kill or be killed' feel that the entire mansion seemed to embrace but other than that it was one of the standard guest bedrooms, if your standards were of the hotel penthouse suite variety. Lex had his own room that was somewhat larger and if he put a kitchen in it, which he certainly had the space; he could stay in there for the rest of his life and never know that she possessed a corner of his precious home.

"Because it's next to mine and I like having as much space as possible. Plus, I'm sure you've notice the fact that this is a mansion. Go use one of the hundred other rooms." Okay so the space argument was faulty even he had to admit that. The real problem being that when his brain wasn't working fast enough to remind him that approaching Chloe with his attraction to her would be wrong for so many reasons just one of them being her age, he had the miles to her house to make him remember. That had been suddenly cut to yards just days ago. He was never going to be able to keep his control if it became slashed to mere feet.

"But this is one of only two rooms farthest away from our fathers' room. Strange how that worked out so well for you." She tilted her head and gave him a knowing stare. Even before his father had moved back here, she knew Lex would account for the possibility and remember the room his father always occupied. She, however, could have never known that her father would get a new love life or be so…enthusiastic. She shuddered internally at the thought.

"I'll admit some planning went into choosing this wing for that purpose, but that doesn't mean that you get to benefit from my precaution." Gabe and Chloe had only moved into the house the day before, but apparently that first night was more than enough suffering Chloe could take. He hadn't heard anything but he had seen some of the staff walking away from his father's wing with shocked expressions that couldn't be shaken until several minutes later.

Chloe decided to take on a desperate tone. She wouldn't kiss Lex's butt to get what she wanted because she knew he wouldn't believe it and she'd only lose any respect he had for her, but he had to see how much she needed this room. "What is your problem?!" See…even her mouth didn't want get on board with the whole 'Make Lex Understand' plan. Screw it! In for a penny, in for a pound. "Are you afraid that I'll keep you awake during your ungodly sleep regimen of two a.m. til 5 a.m.?"

No way would he answer that with the truth. Best to deflect with a cunning retort. "Actually, yes…since that seems to be the time you roll in from your nightly life-risking missions. I don't care much for seeing blood on my carpet before I've had my first cup of coffee." Great! Now, his mind was going into that overdrive of worry he always got when he heard Chloe was hurt.

Chloe scoffed, "No problem, now that I've moved in here, I don't even need to leave the grounds. I can just line up behind you to get a weekly concussion." They both knew that it wasn't there dangerous lives that Lex was concerned with so she had to seek another reason he'd be so put off with the idea of her moving in next door. He mentioned space but he had to know she wasn't completely void of proper behavior. She'd respect his privacy as much as she wanted him to respect hers. Besides if he was worried about her hacking into his computer, it wouldn't make a difference where she went to sleep at night. Of course bedrooms were a bit different when you decided to invite company over. If that was the case, she'd have to approach the subject tactfully. She wasn't ignorant of Lex's status with the female population but she wasn't in the mood to hear bragging either. She'd have to start with herself and hope he'd get her meaning without needing it spelled out. "Look, it's not like I'll be bringing people over here all the time. Clark already abuses the open door policy and Pete refuses to even drive by this place…"

Lex wanted to growl in misery. He hadn't even thought of the possibility of her bringing boys into her room. Did she do that now? Did her father know? Could he wait the hours until dinner that night to ask Gabe? "What about a boyfriend?" He hoped 'boyfriend' hadn't come out sounding like 'scumbag' like it had to his ears.

Chloe had to laugh because she swore Lex took a step closer when he asked that question. His eyes also narrowed and hardened and he practically spat out the word 'boyfriend.' "Nothing to worry about for now, but when it does happen, you can't got all Big Brother on him."

Lex felt his gut drop. He couldn't stop the soft tone in his voice. "You think of me as a brother?" He wasn't sure if he was more worried for her answer or if she had notice his pain.

"No. Which is why you are not allowed to act like one. Are you okay?" He sounded so broken. Maybe he really wanted family more than he let on. She didn't want to hurt his feelings, but there was no way she could let her mind think of him like that despite what relationship their fathers had.

Lex quickly straightened himself out and took back a calm, collected tone. "Yeah, I was just worried for a moment that I'd have to prepare a 'hurt her and I hurt you' speech, make use of my FBI contacts, and practice my killer stare." He finished off with a smirk to ensure to her that all was right in his world.

Chloe had to smile at the thought of Lex being that protective over her. "All of which I'm sure can be done with minimal effort." Still, she watched him carefully for any sign that he wasn't as okay as he said.

He wouldn't back away from this path now. Chloe would walk away never having suspected anything was wrong. "Yes, but why devote the energy if it's unnecessary?"

He was the same old Lex again, so whatever she thought she had seen must have been her mind putting too much thought into someone else's actions. Wouldn't be the first time. Still she didn't know why Lex wouldn't let her have the room and if it was a problem on his end about future company, he wasn't being forthcoming. Maybe she could get through this if she laughed it off like a joke. "Good, so then there's no problem unless you'll be uncomfortable bringing home a date in which case, I'm well aware of sex so don't be modest for my sake."

God as if things weren't bad enough, she had to tell him she was aware of sex. It wasn't like he didn't think she was but it was just one of those things his brain had chosen to ignore as a fact. Like the fact that his father had sex and was to blame for this whole ridiculous problem in the first place. At this point, she was getting the damn room so he just had to salvage his pride. He just had to get through the next couple of years and then she'd be off to college. He might not even stay in Smallville that long before he moved back to Metropolis so it was really just a few months…a year tops. And if he couldn't last one measly year then he didn't deserve his pride. He could do this. He was strong. He was a Luthor. "No, most of my dates I meet in Metropolis so that won't be a problem. You can have the room."

She let out a full watt smile. "Great! Because I want to be as far away from my dad and Lionel as possible too, so if I couldn't have this room, I would have to sleep in yours." She tossed that statement out as she opened the door to her new room and left Lex standing in the hallway.

Doing nothing but stare after her for minutes since she left, only one thought came to Lex's mind.

He was so doomed.

The End.


End file.
